Five Poems by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) Poem One: Tell all the Truth but tell it slant Poem Two: I’m Nobody Poem Three: Because I Could Not Stop for Death Poem Four: My Life Had Stood, A Loaded Gun Poem Five: I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed Poem One: Tell all the Truth but Tell It Slant By Emily Dickinson Tell all the Truth but tell it slant -Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise As Lightning to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind -- Poem Two: I’m Nobody! Who are You? By Emily Dickinson I'm Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too? Then there's a pair of us? Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know! How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – To tell one's name – the livelong June – To an admiring Bog! Poem Three: Because I Could Not Stop for Death By Emily Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun – Or rather – He passed us – The Dews drew quivering and chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle – We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground – Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity – Poem Four: My Life Had Stood – A Loaded Gun By Emily Dickinson My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun In Corners - till a Day The Owner passed - identified And carried Me away And now We roam in Sovereign Woods And now We hunt the Doe And every time I speak for Him The Mountains straight reply And do I smile, such cordial light Upon the Valley glow It is as a Vesuvian face Had let its pleasure through And when at Night - Our good Day done I guard My Master's Head 'Tis better than the Eider-Duck's Deep Pillow - to have shared To foe of His - I'm deadly foe None stir the second time On whom I lay a Yellow Eye Or an emphatic Thumb Though I than He - may longer live He longer must - than I For I have but the power to kill, Without--the power to die-- Poem Five I taste a liquor never brewed by Emily Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed – From Tankards scooped in Pearl – Not all the Frankfort Berries Yield such an Alcohol! Inebriate of air – am I – And Debauchee of Dew – Reeling – thro' endless summer days – From inns of molten Blue – When "Landlords" turn the drunken Bee Out of the Foxglove's door – When Butterflies – renounce their "drams" – I shall but drink the more! Till Seraphs swing their snowy Hats – And Saints – to windows run – To see the little Tippler Leaning against the – Sun!